Middle School Science Minute

Conservation Actions

I was recently reading the November, 2017 issue of “Science Scope,” a magazine written for middle school science teachers, published by the National Science Teachers Association.

In this issue, I read the the article, “Inquiry Into Action: Ecosystems and Animals.” It was written by Megan Ennes, Dennis Kubasko, and M. Gail Jones. It is important that students are presented with opportunities to have a positive impact on our planet and its organisms. As human populations continue to expand, we will continue to see adverse human impacts on ecosystems and their inhabitants. By connecting curriculum to current issues in conservation, students find greater relevance in the topics and are encouraged and empowered to help preserve our planet.

7 Ways to Calm Young Brain Trauma

I’ve Got Research. Yes, I Do. I’ve Got Research. How About You?

In 1847, Hungarian doctor, Ignaz Semmelweis made a remarkable discovery. When doctors washed their hands in a solution of chlorine and water, childbirth fever rates at Vienna General Hospital dropped from 18% to near zero. Offended that Semmelweis implied doctors were killing their own patients, the medical community rejected hand washing as an infection prevention measure, and drove Semmelweis out of medicine and into an insane asylum.

The National Reading Panel Report caused as much damage to reading instruction practices as the standardized testing movement and set independent reading initiatives in schools back decades.

The Power of Being Seen

When the bell rang for early dismissal on a recent afternoon at Cold Springs Middle School in Nevada, students sprinted toward the buses while teachers filed into the library, where posters filled with the names of every child in the 980-student school covered the walls.

Taking seats where they could, the teachers turned their attention to Principal Roberta Duvall, who asked her staff to go through the rosters with colored markers and make check marks under columns labeled “Name/Face,” “Something Personal,” “Personal/Family Story,” and “Academic Standing,” to note whether they knew the child just by name or something more—their grades, their family’s story, their hobbies.

What Teachers Must Consider When Moving to Flexible Seating

Flexible seating in classrooms has become popular over the past few years as educators try to make school feel like a welcoming place with different kinds of spaces for different types of learning.

When thinking about moving to a flexible classroom design, the most important person to consult with may be the custodian. Getting buy-in from administrators is important, but the janitorial staff will be directly impacted by these physical changes, so making sure they are on board is both respectful and crucial to the project’s success. They also might know about unused furniture in storage that could be repurposed inexpensively.

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Teenage brains can’t tell what’s important and what isn’t

Teenagers may know full well how important final exams are – but that won’t stop some putting in minimal effort. This may be because their brains aren’t developed enough to properly assess how high the stakes are, and adapt their behaviour accordingly.

A region called the corticostriatal network seemed to be particularly important. This is known to connect areas involved in reward to those that control behaviour, and continues to develop until we are at least 25 years old.

Parting is such sweet sorrow. . . and after 24 years of giving birth to Gourmet Curriculum Press, Inc., DBA Gourmet Learning, nurturing it through its infancy and formative

years, and watching it grow into a truly Gourmet meal, the time has come close the company doors and bid farewell to the thousands of inspiring educators that I have had the honor of working with through Gourmet Learning. Teachers, educators and administrators, you are the backbone and inspiration of every child who has passed through your classrooms and hallways. You have positively impacted more lives than you will ever know. And through Gourmet Learning I have had the privilege of watching you pour out your hearts and souls for the children you teach.

The teaching profession is a calling and a mission and as educators you have given 200% to your students, and significantly impacted the future of our world. As I close the doors on Gourmet Learning I want to thank you all for your dedication to the teaching profession and for trusting Gourmet Appetizers, Main Dishes, Desserts and Doggie Bags to help you with your monumental task of educating children. As Mahatma Ghandi said, “Be the change that you

wish to see in the world.”

Blessings to all of you as you continue onward, and thank you for your 24 years of continued support, trust and friendship.

Jan Garber

President, Gourmet Learning

Music Resources

Whether you’re into Afrobeat, experimental music, or spoken language, these three resources let you peruse a seemingly limitless collection of audio treasures from around the world.

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Who Is Distracted by a Girl Wearing Skintight Leggings?

Last week, two 5th-grade girls addressed the Atlanta school board, asking that the board change the dress code so that girls might be allowed to wear skintight leggings, which are currently prohibited unless girls are wearing a skirt or shorts over the leggings. The board will announce its decision in January.

We actually have quite a bit of research now on what happens when a girl or woman wears skintight leggings or a swimsuit. Often what happens is “self-objectification”: the girl, or woman, assesses herself as an object on display for others. And the more public the setting, the more likely self-objectification is to occur.

Self-objectification is distracting. It’s hard to concentrate on Spanish grammar when you’re wondering whether this outfit makes your thighs look fat. Girls who self-objectify are also more likely to become depressed. They are less likely to be satisfied with their body. They are more likely to engage in self-harm.

Laptops Are Great. But Not During a Lecture or a Meeting.

In a series of experiments at Princeton University and the University of California, Los Angeles, students were randomly assigned either laptops or pen and paper for note-taking at a lecture. Those who had used laptops had substantially worse understanding of the lecture, as measured by a standardized test, than those who did not.